Hello there! I am new to this forum but have been a lupus sufferer for a number of years. I am 49 and was diagnosed when I was 26. For about 4 or 5 years after the inital diagnosis I had all the symptoms of lupus - arthritis type joint pain, cold hands and feet, rashes, tiredness etc however I went into remission and all symptons stopped about 30 years of age. Then when I was 33, I got Guillain-Barré Syndrome which is also an auto immune disease but pretty rare. Luckily I didn't get it too bad and was back to normal in about 6 months. After that, I have been symptom free of lupus. However, I have found in recent years, I never seem to get a cold of flu. At times, I feel like I am catching something and might feel a bit nasal for half a day and then suddenly all symptoms go and I am perfectly normal. I think this is quite strange and wonder if my immune system is overactive and kills any bugs before they take hold of me. Of course not getting sick is a good thing but to me it seems abnormal. Has anyone else has ever experienced this kind of thing?

11-02-2008, 03:29 AM

KathyW1958

Hi Miona,
Welcome to the forum. It seems like you are in a really good remission. I am not so lucky at all. I will be 50 in December and have not really been able to go into a remission at all. I catch colds very easily and have a lot medical issues as you can read by my signature. There are a lot of people that come in here and they may have some answers for you. Please keep posting ok.

Hugs,
Kathy

11-02-2008, 10:33 AM

Saysusie

Hi Miona;
Welcome to our family. I've been in a form of remission for a number of years (actually, my doctors have downgraded me to mild Lupus). What I'm told is that I still have Lupus, still suffer from some symptoms, still have a compromised immune system, etc. So, I am prone to getting sick often and each time that I do, it turns into a horrible infection causing me to either be hospitalized or I have to be bedridden on powerful anti-biotics.
I do not take medications for my Lupus. However, I still have flare-ups and I still must use all of the precautions that are recommended for those with active Lupus.
You stated that your suspicions of illness seem to go away on their own and you wondered if your over-active immune system was the cause. The answer is "no". The over-active immune system does not mean that our immunity becomes even more diligent in protecting us. What it means is that our immune system has gone haywire and starts attacking healthy tissues and cells, causing many distressful symptoms.
The body's immune system normally makes proteins called "antibodies" to protect the body against foreign materials, or "antigens," such as viruses and bacteria. In an autoimmune disorder such as lupus, the immune system loses the ability to tell the difference between its own cells and tissues and the unwelcome antigens. The immune system then makes antibodies directed against "self." These "autoantibodies" react with the self antigens to form "immune complexes," which build up in tissues and can cause inflammation, injury to tissues, injury to organs, and pain.
How your body responds to Lupus depends heavily upon the activity of autoimmune "lymphocytes," including B cells that produce autoantibodies, and T Cells which regulate the B cells in the development of the immune response.
I would have to agree with Kathy and say that your ability to not get sick is probably due to the fact that your lupus is in a state of remission and your immune system is behaving normally!
I hope that your remission continues for years and years! Best of Luck To You :P